Jack Bristow Manifesto II
by Mrs. Jack Bristow
Summary: This is a continuation to a story I wrote years ago. I give a little back story and that one was never submitted. It was written during the run of the show. I don't own anything other than myself and this is my first submission, please read and review and go easy on me. :
1. Chapter 1: The Mission Continues

Backstory

The Jack Bristow Manifesto continued..

Brief recap of the JBM: Agent Jack Bristow has a chance lunch meeting in 2002 with a young, female temp, named Brooke, working at the CIA office in Southeast Washington. They end up developing a romantic relationship, despite the age difference, and have some incredibly interesting experiences along the way. The first story ends with Jack recruiting Brooke into the CIA. She's been working as an agent for a little over a year and by now Jack has become Director of their CIA division in Northern Virginia.

This story picks up from there. I do not own any of the characters, other than myself.

Chapter 1: The mission continues

Brooke's POV

April 2004 – CIA offices, Washington, DC

The CIA is still in the hunt to recover more Rambaldi artifacts. They receive intelligence that a manuscript has been discovered in an old factory building in Manassas, Virginia of all places.

The team sat in the conference room to get instructions from Jack, who was now Director of the Operations Center. He explained that he would be the point person and that Vaughn, Sydney and Brooke would all go into the building, make sure it was secure, find the manuscript and get out. To everyone involved, it was low risk and hopefully successful. The Covenant had been using that building, but there had been no activity there for months. Easy in, easy out.

The team arrived at the checkpoint about 500 yards away from the building. As expected, it was deserted.

Jack turned us, "I will be monitoring everything from here on coms and Marshall will be monitoring from the Ops Center. This should be very easy, we're sure the manuscript is in one of three rooms, but we have no idea how easy it will be to locate it so take your time."

Jack nodded to both Sydney and myself, "Good luck."

I started to leave when Jack said, "Agent Davis, hang back for just a second, the rest of you go ahead."

When the team was gone, Jack faced me, turned off his com, and took my tiny hands in his. "You okay?"

I smiled, "Of course, it's like any other mission. Piece of cake."

He hugged me, "Be careful, okay? I love you."

I pulled away and looked up at him, "I love you, too."

Jack leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips and nodded me to catch up to the team. This had become routine for us before every mission since the risks were high and if something were to happen to either of us, we wanted to make sure the other knew how important they were.

I ran to catch up to the team and we entered the entrance to the building. There were a few rooms on either side of the foyer.

Vaughn put his hand on his ear, "Jack, we're in."

"Copy that"

The team split up and searched the building. After an hour, we had searched the entire building, top to bottom and met back in the lobby.

"There's NOTHING in here, this must have been a trap." Sydney stated, clearly frustrated.

"Jack, what do you want us to do?" Vaughn asked.

Just then, Sydney yelled from another room, "Brooke, Vaughn, come here!"

Both of us ran to where Sydney was. We found her looking stone faced, pointing at the desk.

"What? Sydney, what is it?"

"There's a timer taped to the bottom of the desk" She pointed, "Look"

Vaughn and I looked underneath. She wasn't kidding, "Holy shit. Dad, this place is going to blow in two minutes. We have to get out of here."

Jack broke in, "Can you disarm it?"

I shook my head, "Jack, we don't have equipment here since we didn't know the building was rigged. Didn't they sweep this place?"

Jack sighed, "Yes, clearly somebody missed it. Okay, well if the manuscript isn't there, you all better get out, now."

The three of us replied, "Got it!" and started out of the building. As I ran behind Sydney and Vaughn, something in the room at the front of the lobby caught my eye.

I stopped to get a better look. It was the manuscript, sitting right there on the table.

"Jack, I found it, it's in one of these offices. I'm just going see if I can grab it really quick."

"Agent Davis, I said to get out of the building. That's an order."

"Jack, it'll take two seconds, I can get it"

"Brooke! Don't argue with me! I am ordering you to get OUT of the building, right now!"

In that split second, I made a decision that would change everything. If that manuscript got destroyed, thousands of lives would be at stake and countless work would all be undone. It contained encrypted codes. Codes that could disarm nuclear weapons, weapons the Covenant, Sark, Sloane or Irina would set off in a heartbeat if they wanted to. Yes, I knew I was disobeying a direct order. Yes, I knew I was taking an unnecessary risk with my life. But in that second, I also knew I had a chance to beat the bad guys, to save lives. Isn't that what I got into this job for, to make a difference? It wasn't only because of Jack. I was good at this and I loved the work. I had to stand on my own and take a risk for my country. Besides, I was pretty confident I could get the book and get out before the building went.

I ran to the table, I saw it wasn't locked, all I needed to do was grab it and run. It was big and heavy and I needed two hands.

Outside, I heard Sydney and Vaughn pleading with me to get out. I ran out of the building and towards them. Sydney started screaming at me, "Brooke, what were you thinking? Do you have any idea how scared my father is?"

That was the last thing I heard. All of a sudden I heard the building explode behind me and I went flying through the air, the book left my hands and I saw it land on the ground about 5 feet from where I ended up. Thinking I was going to land on my face, I put my hands down to try to break my fall but the force had flipped me over and I landed hard on my back. I felt pieces of debris land on my face and I closed my eyes, waiting for it all to end.

The pain was unbearable and I couldn't move. I heard voices, but I wasn't sure whose they were. I heard people running towards me telling me not to move. I couldn't even if I wanted to. Even though I couldn't move, I could feel my legs and knew I wasn't paralyzed. I tried to asses where the pain was coming from and it was mostly my back where I landed. Nothing felt broken but I couldn't be sure because it hurt everywhere.

Within a few minutes (which felt like hours), the entire team surrounded me. I could hear Vaughn calling for a medical transport. I don't remember much after that other than Jack leaning down over me saying "Oh my god, Brooke, what did you do?" The last thing I remember before I lost consciousness was his face. It was pale and his brown eyes were darker than I'd ever seen them. I couldn't tell if he was angry or terrified, or a combination of both.

"Jack" I whispered before everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 2: Is this Heaven?

**Yes, this is a dream sequence. I based Jack's outfit off of his "Havana Jack" look from Season 1. One of my favorites. :)**

Chapter 2: Is this Heaven?

I was woken up by a ray of sunlight shining on me. It was warm and brighter than usual. I struggled to open my eyes. _Where am I? Am I dead and this is heaven? _The fact that my body didn't hurt anymore convinced me I had died. I was only 25 years old. I thought of my family, my parents, my brother, my friends, Jack. Jack. He was the love of my life and I left him. He begged me to get out of the building. He clearly was more concerned with my safety then recovering the book. And I ignored him. And now I'll never see him again. I looked up at the bright blue sky and I started to cry. I sat up and buried my face in my hands and sobbed. I couldn't believe I was so stupid and foolish to take a risk with my life like that.

Suddenly, a hand touched my shoulder, "Brooke, honey, why are you crying?"

I turned around, wiped the tears off my face and looked up. "Jack!" He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever laid eyes on. He was wearing a khaki suit jacket and pants over a light blue dress shirt. His silver hair shone in the sun and his brown eyes glistened at the sight of me along with his smile that always melted my heart. I didn't think I'd ever see him again and here he was.

"Oh my god, is it really you?" I jumped up and hugged his waist tight. I felt his arms wrap around me and it was quite possibly the greatest feeling in the world. I sobbed again, apologizing profusely, "I'm sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry I didn't listen. Please please don't be mad at me. I love you, I'll always love you."

"Shhh, it's okay" he whispered and stroked my hair. Finally, I pulled away.

"Oh no, if I'm dead and you're here, then that means.." I couldn't even get the words out. I froze.

"It's a dream, sweetheart. You're not dead, and neither am I, don't worry."

He pulled me into a hug, "I'm not mad. Everything's going to be okay, I promise"

He started to sit down and pulled me with him. It was then I realized where I was. We were on a gorgeous beach, just the two of us. I linked my arm under his and rested my head on his shoulder.

We sat there quietly listening to the sound of the ocean for what felt like hours. Finally, Jack stood up.

"You're leaving?" I asked him.

He held his hand out, "Walk with me".

I took his hand and we walked along the beach.

We arrived at a spot with a huge blanket, picnic basket and a set up for a bonfire.

"What's this?"

Jack walked ahead of me and went and sat down on the blanket next to the picnic basket.

"It's a picnic on the beach. Look, we even have a fire and can watch the sunset." He patted the blanket for me to join him. I sat down next to him and he opened the picnic basket that was filled with sandwiches, fruit and a bottle of wine with two glasses.

We ate and watched the sunset by the fire. I laid down on my back, looking up at the stars, and said, "If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up yet."

Jack leaned over and touched the side of my face, "Then don't" He stroked my hair and kissed me softly on the lips and held there waiting for me to kiss him back. I did and wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him on top of me. We made love right there on the beach, under the stars and the moonlight and it was so beautiful.

Afterward, he hovered above me and smiled. I saw a tear in his eye as he said quietly, "Please don't leave me, Brooke. Come back, baby. I love you."


	3. Chapter 3: So It Begins

**Here is Chapter 3. Thank you to all who have reviewed this story thus far. Your comments are so wonderful and I'm glad everyone has enjoyed it. Author's Note: The town of Manassas, VA was chosen as a setting because it's right next to a small town called Bristow, VA. Both are about a half hour from Langley, VA which is where the CIA is located. I am not sure if JJ chose the name Bristow for that reaason or not, but I incorporated Manassas because of the proximity to Bristow. Also, the doctor is based on a real baseball player. Some will figure it out. Don't worry, nothing happens between him and Brooke, I just wanted to throw him in there somewhere.**

**I do not own anything other than Brooke. Enjoy! **

Chapter 3: So It Begins

My eyes flew open and suddenly I realized that I wasn't on a beach, I was in a hospital bed, tied up to all types of machines. And I was in pain, horrible pain. I shifted my eyes around the room. I saw a long grey jacket hanging on the chair in the corner of the room, I knew it was Jack's. I heard voices in the hallway. I was so out of it. I had no idea what hospital I was in or how much time had passed between the explosion and now.

After a few minutes, the door opened and a tall, middle aged, built, good looking doctor with brown eyes and dark brownish/silver hair walked in and closed the door. He looked like he could have been a baseball player at some time in his career.

"You're awake, that's fantastic. Brooke, I'm Dr. Moyer. How are you feeling?"

Director Jack Bristow paced back and forth in the hallway of the 3rd floor trauma unit at George Washington University Hospital. He had taken a few calls, told colleagues he would tell everyone when I got out of surgery.

"Dad, you have to calm down. It's going to be a while. Please sit down."

"Fine", he replied and sat down in the chair, running his fingers through his hair.

Sydney put a comforting hand on her dad's shoulder, "She's going to be fine." Sydney and I had a rough beginning. I first met her when Jack took me to a Blue Jays-Orioles game in Baltimore shortly after we started dating. Understandably, she didn't like seeing her father with a woman younger than her. But over time, she saw how happy I made him and how much I cared for him and was able to get past it. We now had a very close, almost sister like friendship.

Jack shook his head, "I just cannot believe she did this. I told her to get out, she refused to listen. She disobeyed my order and nearly killed herself."

Just then, Dr. Moyer came walking to greet them. He extended his hand, "Agents Bristow, I'm Dr. Moyer. I did the surgery on Brooke."

"How is she?" Syd asked

"She's fine. She's resting right now. We had to stitch up some deep cuts she suffered. She has some severe bruising, mostly in her back when she landed. But there are no broken bones or internal bleeding. She's just cut up pretty badly and in pain."

Jack spoke up, "What about her head? She was unconscious when we found her."

The doctor shook his head, "No head injury, thankfully. She may have just gotten knocked out, but there's no sign of concussion or anything. She's very lucky given the shape she was in." He looked around, "Is her family here?"

"Her parents are on their way down from New Jersey right now." Jack replied, "Can I see her?"

"Of course, " Dr. Moyer nodded to Jack, "She's asking for you."

Sydney turned to her father, "Go ahead, I'll go let everyone know the news and I'll come back."

She left and Dr. Moyer led Jack down the hall toward her room. They got outside the door and he turned and looked at Jack, "Mr. Bristow, I understand you and Brooke are…close. She's badly cut up, especially on her face. We bandaged some of them up, I just wanted you to be aware when you go in there. It might be upsetting."

"Thank you for your concern." Jack replied, coolly.


	4. Chapter 4: I'll Always Come Back To You

**Here is Chapter 4. A few notes: A scene from one of my favorite Victor films, "Me and My Shadows: My Life with Judy Garland" is referenced in this chapter, along with a reference to a look of Victor's that always makes me think of "Titanic". Also, keep in mind that things are about to get rough for this couple in the upcoming chapters. There's more fallout from Brooke's actions in Manassas, in more ways than one. Keep reviewing. **

Chapter 4: I'll Always Come Back To You

I heard voices outside my room and then I heard the door open. I slowly sat up to get a better look. It was Jack. He looked like hell. His hair was a mess and his suit was wrinkled. His dress shirt was un tucked and his tie was loosened. He looked like he hadn't slept in two days. Neither of us said anything for a few seconds, we just stared at each other. His face changed and that spot on his forehead between his eyes got scrunched up the way it always did when he was upset.

He walked over and sat in the chair next to me and very softly took my left hand, put it to his lips and then held it there for a while, stroking it gently. I took my right hand and reached over to touch his face. I did my best to hold it together but seeing him like this was heartbreaking. It was even worse knowing that it was because of me.

He took a deep breath and with my hand still to his lips, he said "I was so scared, Brooke" his voice cracked.

"I know, and I'm sorry" I felt the tears spring to my eyes, "Are you mad at me?"

He looked right at me, "No sweetheart, of course not. I'm just glad you're okay. The doctor says you're going to be fine. Your parents are on their way down here, too."

I turned my head to look at him, "And the manuscript? Was it destroyed?"

Jack shook his head, "No, it wasn't. We have it. It's encrypted so it might be awhile before we know anything."

_Thank God. _I had risked my life, my job and, I feared, my relationship with Jack over that thing. If it had been destroyed, it would have all been for nothing. I could deal with losing my job, but losing Jack? I couldn't bear it.

Lost in my thoughts, Jack spoke, "You were out for quite a while. Do you remember anything?"

A smile formed on my face, "I remember the dream I had. It was about us."

"Oh.._really"? _Jack arched his eyebrows and moved his chair closer to the bed. "Do tell"

I recalled the whole dream. His mood lightened listening to the story. We both laughed, and it was then I felt as if things were really going to be alright.

He leaned forward and looked deep into my eyes, "You came back to me" he stated after I was finished, with a smile.

"I'll always come back to you."


	5. Chapter 5: Girl Talk

**Here is Chapter 5, I apologize for the delay. **

Chapter 5: Girl Talk

After a week in the hospital, I was released. Jack wanted me to stay at his place so he could take care of me. After a year and a half, I'd pretty much been living with him anyway so most of my stuff was already at his house. Jack took some time off work but since he was Director, he had to go back. I was on my feet after a week home. My back started to heal and I was up and about. I did have some limitations. I had to abstain from certain physical activities, including exercise in more than one form. On my last day at the hospital, Dr. Moyer very calmly sat both Jack and I down and gave us the bad news that we had to abstain from intimate activity until told otherwise. He made the mistake of saying "Would that be a big problem?" and looked right at Jack, basically insinuating that because of his age, he wasn't all that _active,_ which prompted a death stare from Jack and a stifled giggle from me. Jack and I were plenty active and this limitation wasn't going to be fun for us. Fortunately, the good doctor said it should only be for a couple of weeks. After we'd left, Jack turned to me and said "You asked me if I was mad at you. I wasn't before, but I am now." He was only partially kidding.

Once home, Sydney came over a lot to help out when she wasn't working and sometimes she'd bring Vaughn. The three of us would play board games or watch a movie while Jack was at work. I wasn't cleared to return to the office yet but I had been getting updates on the manuscript and whether it was getting any closer to being deciphered. Much to my disappointment, it wasn't.

There was also the issue of my reprimand for disobeying an order. It wasn't just any order, it came from the top and the CIA has always taken that type of action very seriously. Even more seriously since 9-11. It was like the military, you had a chain of command and it was in place for our protection. If an agent didn't follow the rules, national security could be compromised and you could put the lives of CIA agents at risk. I wasn't the first agent to ignore the rules but it didn't mean I was going to get away with it. I told Jack that I didn't want to be given any special treatment. Since my record had been exceptional up until this point, I was hoping the punishment wouldn't be too severe. During the first few weeks, Jack wouldn't talk much about what they were deciding and I didn't ask. He was much more interested in helping me recover and doting on me whenever he had the chance.

One night while Jack worked late, Sydney and I were cleaning up after dinner and I could tell something was bothering her. She was quiet and kept looking away from me.

Finally, she stood against the sink after finishing the dishes and spoke.

"You didn't see him, Brooke."

Confused, I replied, "What?"

She turned around, "You didn't see him. He thought you were dead. Do you even have any idea what you did to him? He told you to get out of the building. You didn't listen to him!" she snapped at me. I'd never heard her use that tone before.

"Sydney, I'm sorry. I didn't-"

She cut me off, "Don't. Just don't. I haven't seen him like that since…since"

"Since your mother." I said under my breath.

By now, she was looking square at me, "Yes. And I swore, I would never let anyone scare him like that again."

At this point, I was furious. It was like the pot calling the kettle black. I stood up.

"Excuse me? Scare him? You terrify him on a daily basis. Have you lost count how many times you've gone rogue or disobeyed an order and put your life at risk? All the while, I might add, he's constantly going above and beyond to protect you."

Sydney waved her hand in the air, "This isn't about me, Brooke."

I shook my head, "You just made it about you, Sydney. But you're right, _I _screwed up. I'm the one who scared the shit out of your father. And you have every right to be upset with me. But please don't give me that 'Sydney Bristow holier than thou' act when you and I both know, you've made the same exact mistakes."

She just stared at me. She knew I was right.

I put my hands on the island in the middle of the kitchen and shook my head, "I don't want to fight with you. I didn't do this to scare Jack. You've known me long enough to know how much I love your father. He's everything to me. Do you think I'm not scared about all of this?" I felt myself get choked up. "I'm prepared to accept whatever punishment I'm going to get because of it."

I turned around so she wouldn't see the tears beginning to form in my eyes.

She walked over and stood next to me, "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight with you either. I just don't want Dad to lose you, it would kill him."

"He's not going to lose me. Ever"


	6. Chapter 6: New Developments

**Here is Chapter 6. Once again, I only own myself. The "bug killer" pen references Season 2, as does "Senator Douglas" who was featured heavily in Season 2 as well. **

Chapter 6: New Developments

After Sydney left, it was late, close to 10. Jack was still not home and I was really tired. I wanted to wait up for him so I went to lay down on the couch with a blanket and closed my eyes. I replayed my argument with Sydney in my head. _Did she really believe I deliberately betrayed her father?_ The thought made me shiver. But it made me consider that maybe this incident had opened up old wounds of abandonment for him. He was slowly starting to spend more time at work now that I was back on my feet.

_You're paranoid_, I thought. _You're over analyzing everything_. But what if I wasn't?

I started to doze off when I heard a car pull into the garage. I heard Jack come in through the kitchen and put his briefcase down and let out a tired but relieved sigh. He must have thought I was asleep because he was quiet walking through the house.

I opened my eyes, "Jack?"

He came through the door into the living room and I sat up with a smile on my face, "Hi" I hadn't seen him since the morning.

"There you are. I thought you'd have gone to bed already." He reached over the couch to give me a kiss hello.

"I wanted to wait up for you. Did you eat anything?"

He sat down next to me and loosened his tie, "I did, but I would have rather eaten with you."

"Me too" I sighed, "How was work?"

He turned to face me and rested his elbow on the back of the couch and smiled at me.

"What?"

"I have good news. Well some good and bad, which would you like first?"

I pursed my lips, "The bad news I guess, isn't that what I'm supposed to say?"

"Okay, well, the bad news is that we still haven't cracked the codes in the manuscript."

"Jack, we already knew that, what's the good news?"

He shifted next to me and reached into his jacket pocket for his "bug killer pen." This was quite possibly the greatest thing Marshall had ever invented. One thing about CIA agents is that we tend to be incredibly paranoid. Even at home, you never knew who could be listening. Marshall gave one to Jack and he has used it at the house for us whenever we discuss work. Better to be safe than sorry.

After turning on the pen, he continued, "The good news is that we were able to get a general idea of what's in there. It's incredible, Brooke. It outlines the entire Covenant organization, plans, blueprints, notes, who's in charge. It's like a huge manifesto. It even lists addresses of offices."

I shook my head, "But I don't get it. Why would the Covenant just leave it out there in the open? Why wouldn't they take it with them?" I asked, incredulously.

Jack shrugged, "That's what I wondered, but I have no idea. They probably rigged the place and had to get out and figured that if anyone came looking for it, they would blow the building up and destroy it anyway." He grabbed my hands, "But this is huge for us. I thought you'd be happy."

I turned away from him, "I am, honestly. But this doesn't change anything for me." I looked at him, "Don't you get it? I still can't come back to work and when I do, I'm going to get reprimanded for this anyway, which is fine, but you can't expect me to be jumping for joy when my job is still in jeopardy."

"Well after we found all of this information, I reported to Senator Douglas and I said-"

"I told you I didn't want any special treatment!" I scolded.

He glared at me, "Would you let me finish? My god, you're worse than Sydney sometimes." He paused, "As I said, I went to Douglas and gave him the information and I just simply asked that he take it into consideration. I had to talk to him about a few things anyway. He said he would. They are hoping to have your hearing scheduled by the end of this week or the beginning of next week. But everyone's been busy working on this."

I got up and walked to the fireplace, "Everybody except the person who risked her life to get it."

Jack got up, walked over and stood behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders, "Brooke, you will be. Everyone wants you involved, most importantly, me." Jack whispered. I turned around and looked up at him, "Really?" I asked. Jack reached down and tucked a strand of hair away from my face, "Of course. It's late, we don't need to figure this all out tonight, let's go to bed."

Suddenly, I realized how exhausted I was, "Good idea" and with that, he put his arm around me and led me upstairs.


	7. Chapter 7: My Worst Fear

**So sorry for the delay, everyone. I'd had this written but I wanted to review it before submitting it. Then I was on vacation. I was actually in New York last week to see Mr. Bristow's alter ego at "54 Below". Also had the privledge of meeting his lovely daughter as well. ;) It was amazing.**

**Once again, I own nothing other than myself. **

Chapter 7: My Worst Fear

By the end of the week, my hearing had been scheduled for the end of April. It was already the middle of the month and I had been out of work for nearly 4 weeks. I was at least still getting paid which helped since the bills certainly didn't stop. I occupied myself by reading and doing research. I was able to (secretly) obtain some copies of the manuscript pages so at least I felt like I was in the loop even if I wasn't in the office. Occasionally, members of the analysis team would call and either ask questions or give me some information. I felt like we were making progress and if I could just get back to work, soon, it would make me feel so much better.

Meanwhile, my worst fear was slowly being realized. Jack was beginning to withdraw from me. He was spending more and more time at the office and when he was at home, he would lock himself in his study. At first, I didn't think anything of it. He would do work at home on occasion but not for long. He always made a point to maybe spend a half hour or so in there a night or a few nights a week but he would spend most of the evenings relaxing with me. Sometimes I would go in there and bring him a snack or something to drink if he was working long and no matter what he was doing, he would always stop and spend time with me, even for a few minutes. I would tell him that I didn't mean to distract him and he would smile, pull me onto his lap and say, "I like this distraction."

Then one night, everything just changed.

It was a Wednesday night after dinner and Jack had gone into his office to do some paperwork. I cleaned up the kitchen and did some things around the house. After an hour, I decided to cut up some cheese and crackers I knew Jack liked and pour him a glass of wine. I went to see if he wanted to come out and join me for a snack. He was so absorbed in whatever he was reading that he didn't hear me come in. I walked up behind the chair and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Jaack," I cooed, "Do you want to take a break and join me for a snack?" I nuzzled his neck.

"Geezus, Brooke. You scared the crap out of me." He jumped. "I can't right now, I need to read this report tonight." He unlocked my hands and let them fall to the ground. I was stunned.

I leaned on the desk, facing him. I looked at my watch, "It's only 8:30, you can't a break for five minutes? I have cheese and crackers."

"I can't tonight, I'm sorry." He barely even looked at me. When he finally did, his face lacked the warmth I'd been so used to over the past year and a half.

Swallowing hard, I folded my arms. "Fine, suit yourself." And I walked out of the room.

Once outside in the hall, I leaned up against the wall and closed my eyes, _I knew this would happen_. It wasn't just that moment; things had been getting progressively worse between us. The Jack Bristow that everyone knew for years who was guarded, keeping everyone at arm's length, was re-emerging after a hiatus. This was how he knew how to cope. Instead of talking, he would shut out the world. It was the _only_ thing he knew for the past twenty years. We had had little arguments before this, of course, like any other couple, but this incident changed everything. He used to tell me all the time how he "came alive" when he met me and felt like he'd been in the dark for 20 years. He became the person I knew he could be: warm, funny, affectionate, loving and very open. His relationship with Sydney got better and he allowed himself to get close to people again. When I met him I knew his story, so this wasn't new to me at all. But things had been so great between us for so long that I foolishly felt that whatever crisis happened, we'd get through it. So in that split second I decided to ignore his order to get out of the building, while I knew it was wrong, I had faith in both our professional and personal relationship that if it did cause a problem, we'd be okay. He said he wasn't mad, I knew he was. He felt I had tried to leave him, that I betrayed him. Just like Irina. It didn't matter that it wasn't deliberate. It didn't matter how many times I apologized and tried to explain that it had nothing to do with him. To me, it didn't. But to him, that's exactly how it felt. I had to accept that.

As I stood out in the hallway reflecting on all of this, I realized just how wrong I was. I was heartbroken, scared and alone. I had given everything I had to the man behind that door, more than I'd given to anyone in my entire life. I thought we were a team; that we were moving towards something. We'd even talked about getting married, which was a huge step for him but something we both wanted. Now none of that mattered. He had shut down from the one person who brought him back to life. And it was killing me. Anytime I would try to talk to him, he would tell me nothing was wrong. I figured this was just a phase he was working through and that he would snap out of it. But it was going on too long and pretty soon I had to decide if I wanted to continue living like this.

I was losing the man I loved. And it was all my fault.

I had told him I would always come back for him, but for what? I was a fool.


	8. Chapter 8: The Road Home

****Disclaimer** This chapter is a bit steamy and passionate. I wrote it a month ago and had sat on it, it fits in perfectly with the story and I needed to work out the flow and I wanted to add to it. I decided not to change the entire rating of the story but I am giving a warning about the content. I hope you all like it and please please give feedback. Once again, I own nothing but myself. **

**I have never used song lyrics in my stories, but this was a suggestion from a friend who thought it would be a good fit. I really do love it. **

_Don't say a word, just come over and lie here with me._

'_Cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see._

_I want you so bad, I'll go back on the things I believe._

_There I just said it, I'm scared you'll forget about me. "Edge of Desire", John Mayer_

Chapter 8: The Road Home

The absolute worst part of this entire thing was that Jack had stopped sleeping with me. I'd go to sleep by myself and at first I thought he was just working late. But when I woke up, he wouldn't be there. I would find him on the couch. He kept telling me he was working and didn't want to wake me, but I knew it was all part of this distance he was creating. I hated it and I knew it was only a matter of time before I made a decision to leave. What choice did I have?

After two and a half weeks, I'd had enough. I had reached my breaking point and I knew I had to do something. Everything came to a head a few nights before my hearing.

Around 11pm on that Tuesday, Jack came into the bedroom to get his pajamas. As usual, he was going to head down to take his spot on the couch. I think he thought I was asleep because he was very quiet. I wasn't. I sat up as he was heading to the door. This was getting to be too much.

"Jack? Please don't go."

He stopped dead in his tracks and stood there, with his back facing me.

I knew it was now or never, "Please stay with me. I'm begging you. I can't sleep when you're not here next to me. I'm baring my soul right now. I know why you're doing this, but please, please just stay with me tonight." I realized I'd started to cry.

"Brooke,"

"I know. You're still mad. But I can't go on like this. If you still love or want me at all, please just don't walk out of this room, I'm begging you. Please just turn around and come to me."

I saw him sigh and put his head down, but he didn't move.

"Jonathan Donahue Bristow, don't leave me."

His head snapped back up, "You never call me that." He said, his voice low.

"I know"

Finally, he turned around and looked at me. I was kneeling on the bed with my arms out and tears streaming down my face. I couldn't have been more desperate, and shattered. If he walked out after this, it was going to kill me. I couldn't take it. I pleaded with him one more time.

"Please"

"Damn it, Brooke" He came at me. My heart stopped. He grabbed my face with his hands and kissed me. Hard. Then he stopped, still holding my face and looked into my eyes, "Don't you EVER do that me to again, do you understand?" I was shaking my head. "When I give you an order on missions, it's not for my own health. You listen and if the building is going to blow and I order you to get out, you GET OUT. Do I make myself clear? I don't ever want to go through this again." He was stroking my hair. "Do you think I wanted to push you away? No. I have given more of myself to you than to anyone. I promise to never do this to you again if you promise to never disobey me on missions and scare me. Okay?" At this point, he was talking to me in between kissing my face.

I couldn't breathe, I just kept saying, "I promise. I'm sorry. I love you."

Just then, he pushed me back onto the bed and started removing his jacket.

I was panting hard, and watching him._ My God, I want this._

"And furthermore, how could you ever think I don't want you? I can't resist you. Ever. That's why this has been so goddamn difficult for me." He was tearing off his tie.

This was the most passionate I'd seen him in a long time. And I loved it.

"Take off your shirt" he said to me. I obliged and he stood above me, gaping.

"Jack, what are you doing?" _As if I didn't know._

He arched his eyebrow, and proceeded to remove his shirt to reveal his wife beater. He had broad, muscular shoulders and strong arms. I loved and missed his body.

"I'm going to show you how much I still want you."

"Oh good"

He leaned against me, and I could already feel it. I had wanted him to stay with me but I just wanted him to be with me while we slept, I wasn't really going for this. Of course, I wasn't complaining.

His hands were on either side of my body, "Do you still want _me_?"

I gasped, "Are you kidding?" I smiled at him.

By now, he was out of his pants and lifted me up on to the bed. He very gently lay on top of me. He started kissing me again and his hands were on my neck and had made their way down to my chest. I missed his hands on me, his lips on me, his body on me. I grabbed his neck and ran my fingers through his curly silver locks. I wanted this. So badly. I couldn't help but cry. It had been too long.

"Honey, please don't cry. I love you. I have missed you." He said in between kisses.

"I have missed you, too."

Before I knew it, he had pushed my legs open and filled me. _Yes, this was home._

We hadn't really been cleared for this by Dr. Moyer but my back was fine and if I got injured, I could live with that.

He was still holding my face and looking into my eyes and kissing me. I could hardly believe this was happening. I thought I'd lost him. Forever. And here he was, here we were. Together like we'd been all this time. We'd made it. He didn't leave me.

I was in ecstasy, seeing the affect I'd had, I used his given name one more time, "Jonathan,"

For whatever reason, that turned him on even more and he picked up the pace. "Oh god, Brooke."

Every inch of my body exploded as we both collapsed in a heap of passion.

After we both regained our breath, Jack propped himself up on his elbow and turned towards me, where I was still laying on my back, smiling. "I guess Dr. Moyer would be disappointed in us, huh?" He winked at me and we both laughed. I leaned towards him, admiring his discheveled hair and touched his face.

"You didn't leave me." I whispered.

Jack sighed, "I couldn't. I saw the damage I'd done by pushing you away all this time. I knew I had to put an end to it or I was going to lose you forever. And when I looked at you, my heart broke." He gave me a soft glance, "I wasn't really planning on what happened next, but the fact that you thought I didn't want you anymore was too much for me. I suddenly felt the need to prove you wrong."

He reached over and touched my hair, "I can't tell you how sorry I am. I never meant to hurt you. Pushing you away was the only way I knew how to cope with all of this. But it won't happen again, I promise. Please forgive me." His voice cracked and his brown eyes were pleading with me.

We sat up for another hour, just talking, more than we'd talked in weeks. We both cried and held each other and finally, I fell asleep on his chest, listening to the soft beat of his heart. I knew we were going to be okay. At least, I hoped.


	9. Chapter 9: Testimony Part I

**I owe a sincere apology for such a long gap between chapters. I had actually started this one and wrote it slowly because it just took a while to come together. Lots of factors got in the way and I apologize for that. It's been a hectic few months. But here it is. The Belmont mission is a reference to the first Manifesto which included a cross over story involving horse racing (since I'm a horse racing fan) with my best friend who is also into the sport. So it may seem random but it's just a small reference to the first story, not to confuse anyone. Also, I took inspiration from the Alias episode, "Salvation", at the very end. Once again, I own nothing other than myself. **

Chapter 9: Testimony Part I

"How do I look?" Jack stood in the doorway between the bathroom and bedroom and put his arms out.

I smiled at him and climbed on top of the bench at the end of the bed. "Come here". He walked over to me and I was able to be eye level with him.

"You didn't answer my question." Jack smirked at me.

"Because you know what my answer is. You look gorgeous." He was just wearing a suit but he looked so handsome. I reached over and adjusted his tie and smoothed out his shirt. He just stood there looking at me and spoke again, "Another question: Do you think the committee members will be able to tell I had sex last night?"

I gasped, "You _did_?" I teased.

He gave me an evil grin, "Yep. It was pretty darn good, too."

"Where was I?" I toyed with him.

He took my hands, "Well, I believe you were there, my dear."

I playfully smacked my forehead, "Oh, that's right." We both broke out laughing.

Jack wrapped his arms around me, "Last night was great", "It was", I replied.

After a few minutes, I took his arm and looked at his watch, "Oh crap, Jack, we need to go. Your hearing is in a half hour."

We showed up at the Ops Center in time for Jack to check his email and make some phone calls before he had to go into the hearing room. Senator Douglas and the other Disciplinary Committee members were in today to hold what would be part one of my disciplinary hearing. However, it wasn't for me. They were here to talk to Jack. Since it was his order I disobeyed, they wanted to ask him questions about the events of that night, the mission, and well, me. There wasn't going to be any consequence for him, but they wanted and needed to get all the information they could. They had already talked to Sydney and Vaughn very briefly about what happened. They would take his testimony into account for my hearing, which was the very next day.

As I walked through the rotunda, I was reminded of how much I loved being here. It was great to see everyone again and feel like I was still a part of the team, so to speak. Marshall seemed to be the most excited, giving me a hug, and anxious to show me pictures of his son, Mitchell, who was growing up so fast.

After talking to everyone for a bit, I went into Jack's office where he was on the computer answering some emails. I gestured to my watch, "It's almost time." He closed his eyes, "I know, I know. I need to read these emails really quick."

I sat down on one of the chairs across from him and waited patiently for him to finish. Just then, his phone rang:

"Director Bristow? We're ready for you." he heard from the conference room.

"Be right there." He looked at me. I stood up and he shook his head, "Brooke. Stay here. You can watch the feed from here."

I said, "Are you sure?"

He gestured for me to sit at the desk, so I got up and walked over to his chair and sat down.

"Of course."

Jack kissed me on the forehead, "I'll see you after."

"Good luck." I smiled as he left the office and I settled in behind the computer.

The hearing began not long after and the usual formalities took place between the committee members and Jack. They asked him about the mission, how it unfolded and then finally, how it ended.

At one point, Douglas asked Jack how he recruited me into the CIA.

"I didn't really recruit her exactly. I had asked Brooke to help us on a very simple op that was incredibly low risk. We had been short handed and afterwards, she did such a great job, I asked her if she would be in working with me." Jack explained.

"How far into your relationship was this?" Douglas asked.

"About 6 months in".

"And which operation was this?"

"It was at Belmont Park in New York, the day of the Belmont Stakes."

Douglas nodded, "Snatch and grab?"

Jack agreed, "Yes, it was incredibly low risk."

Senator Mitchell interjected, "And you felt that it went so well that you asked Brooke to join the CIA?"

Jack shook his head, "No, it didn't happen exactly like that. I thought a lot about it and discussed it with other agents before asking Agent Davis to join us. It was only then did I officially offer her a position."

"And how would you say she's performed?"

Jack didn't miss a beat, "Exceptionally."

The hearing continued and the committee members asked Jack questions about the mission in Virginia. He was so steadfast and brilliant and honest, especially when asked whether he felt my decision to disobey his order had anything to do with our personal relationship, which of course, it did not and he testified to that.

Finally, Douglas removed his glasses and I could tell the session was winding down. I didn't expect what happened next to happen.

"Director Bristow, we won't take up much more of your time. I'd like to end this session with a few questions about your personal relationship with Agent Davis. These questions are going to be slightly different from earlier and at this time, I would like the feeds to be turned off with the exception of the one in your office. I presume that's where Agent Davis is, correct?"

I sat up in Jack's chair and literally said, "What the?" out loud.

The last thing I wanted was anybody walking in while this was going on, so I got up, closed the blinds, locked the door and shut the light off.

Jack looked just as confused as he responded, "Yes, she is."

Douglas continued, "Good. Don't worry, there's nothing to be concerned about. I think you'd agree that we don't need the rest of the agency listening in."

Jack nodded and shifted in his seat. _Where was the committee going with this?_

Senator Mitchell tried to break the tension, "Jack, relax. We're not going to ask anything intimate. Don't worry. It's off the record."

"I'm just at a loss as to what else you want to know about our relationship, I've already given you the history."

Douglas spoke, "How would you describe your relationship with Agent Davis?"

Jack started to relax, "Since this is off the record, I can say that Agent, uh, Brooke and I are very close."

"I think everyone here knows you two have been romantically involved for some time now, right?"

Jack nodded.

I felt my entire face get red. This had to be one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life.

"Without going into details, how would you say your relationship has been affected by all of this?"

Jack looked down at his hands and sighed, "It's been..difficult. For both of us, but more so for Brooke since she was injured."

Mitchell interjected, "I think what we all are trying to find out is if for some reason the two of you ended your personal relationship, if it would affect your professional one."

Jack got defensive, "That won't happen."

"Which?"

"Either. Brooke and I are adults and professionals and we'd never allow it to affect our working relationship. I believe I've already been clear on that. As for your other question, I won't even dignify it. We have been dealing with this issue in our own way, but it's not ending our personal relationship, which, I might add, is much more important than our professional relationship. She's the second most important person in my life."

"How can you be so confident?" Douglas pried

"Because we respect and love each other." Jack answered softly. When he looked up, I could see how serious he was. He knew he was also talking to me.

"I'm not very good in these situations, talking about my personal life or emotions. But I will say that having Brooke in my life has been life changing, special, and rewarding. She means more to me than I could ever say and when I thought I had lost her, I couldn't deal with it. I can't imagine my life without her. I think that's all anyone in this room needs to know."

The room got quiet and the members all looked at each other.

"Well, I think we got everything we needed." Douglas looked around the room. "This hearing is adjourned. Thank you, Director Bristow."

Jack stood up. "Thank you, gentlemen for taking the time to meet with me."

I sat in front of the computer screen, frozen, for a few minutes. Any second, I figured Jack would be coming back to his office and I wanted a minute to compose myself. I never thought I'd ever hear him talk about me like that in front of his colleagues. It made me feel proud and happy, but most of all, loved.

Jack walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He stood there and looked at me. "How'd I do?"

Without saying a word, I got up from behind the desk and walked right up to him, wrapped my arms around his waist and held there.

"Thank you," I whispered.


	10. Chapter 10: Testimony Part II

**Well, I didn't plan this hiatus, it just happened. I really hope you are all still reading and please review. Since there was such a long break in between chapters, I made this one longer, especially since it's Brooke's turn to testify. Once again, I own nothing other than myself.**

**Author's note: Senator Mitchell is based loosely on former Senate Majority Leader, George Mitchell, who is a hero of mine. He's had an extensive career in politics and peacemaking. He was responsible for the Good Friday Accords which brought peace to Northern Ireland. Since I was just there, I felt it appropriate. Enjoy! **

Chapter 10: Testimony: Part II

"Brooke, you have changed your shirt 10 times already. There's no reason to be so nervous." Jack was standing outside the closet watching me change my clothes for the tenth time. It was the day of my testimony and I was a nervous wreck.

I shrugged and put down the blouse I was planning on changing into, "You're so right." I laughed, "I must look completely ridiculous."

Jack's smile told me that he disagreed. "Well you LOOK beautiful, but yes, you are being ridiculous. Now let's go, we're going to be late."

In the car on the way to the Ops Center, Jack prepped me with questions he thought the committee might ask. To be honest, I was more nervous about answering questions about our personal relationship than anything, but if Jack could handle it, so could I.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Senator Mitchell, who wanted to once again thank Jack for his testimony yesterday and his candidness with the committee and to assure me that I had nothing to worry about. Out of all of the committee members, he was probably my favorite. He was an older gentleman with kind eyes and glasses and for someone who had been in politics for three decades; he certainly had never let Washington get the better of him. He was honest, direct and did his best to keep Senator Douglas' ego in check.

"Good morning, Director Bristow, Agent Davis" Senator Mitchell greeted us with a smile.

"Morning, George." Jack held out his hand, "Good to see you."

The senator quickly turned to me, "How are you feeling, Agent Davis?"

I smiled and shook his hand, "Please, its Brooke. And I'm better, thanks."

After the morning pleasantries, the Senator motioned for me to follow him to the conference room where everyone else was waiting. Jack grabbed my hand and turned to Mitchell, "Can we have a minute?" The senator nodded and headed into the room.

Jack turned to face me and smiled. "I just wanted to say, good luck." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a tiny piece of paper. He handed it to me and winked. Then he walked away. I looked around quickly to see if anybody was looking. Before I went into the conference room, I read the note. It said:

"_Don't let them intimidate you. You got this. Whatever happens, we will get through it. And remember two things: 1) I'm your biggest ally and 2) I love you. –Jack"_

I smiled at myself and slipped the note into my purse and went into the most important meeting of my life.

"Good morning, Agent Davis. Thank you for joining us. Please have a seat." Senator Douglas spoke to me first as I came into the room. It was all the same faces from Jack's hearing the day before.

I took the seat facing the committee and poured myself a glass of water. I surveyed the room; it had been equipped with cameras. I adjusted the microphone so I could speak into it and settled into the chair.

"Agent Davis, I'm going to start the questioning. Do you know why you are here today?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"Are you prepared to accept the committee's ruling after this hearing?"

"I am." I nodded.

With that, the questioning began. They each took turns asking me the details of the Virginia mission. It moved pretty smoothly and finally, Douglas got to the important questions.

"Were you the first to notice the manuscript?"

"Yes. I saw it out of the corner of my eye as we were running out of the building."

"Then what happened?"

"I stopped and decided to grab it."

"Did you let Agents Bristow and Vaughn know?"

"I did. They were already out of the building."

"And Director Bristow heard you and what did he say?"

"He told me not to get it since the building was rigged to explode."

"You argued with him over the coms, did you not?"

"I just explained that I was close enough to get it and get out."

"He then made it clear that he was giving you a direct order and you still disobeyed, did you not?"

"Yes."

"Agent Davis, your record has been impeccable. Your superiors and your colleagues have all praised you as an excellent agent who works hard and would never put anybody in the agency, or yourself at risk. Why did you choose to compromise that record?"

I sighed, "I wasn't thinking about my record at the time. I was thinking about how important the manuscript was and how I was pretty sure I could grab it and get out before the building exploded."

Senator Mitchell interjected, "And you did."

"Yes."

Douglas took back the mic, "Agent Davis, we don't have much time left, so I'll get right to the point. Did you think that because of your personal relationship with Director Bristow that you could disobey him and not face any consequences?"

I felt my jaw clench, "No. Absolutely not."

He continued, "Did your decision have anything to do with a personal issue you may have been having with the Director?"

"Absolutely not", I felt my face getting red but I knew I had to keep it together. "I have been doing this job for over a year and Director Bristow and I have always kept our personal and professional relationships completely separate. I have never gotten nor have I asked for any special treatment. That's the truth, Senator."

Douglas nodded, believing my answer. He turned to Mitchell and urged him to ask the final question.

"Agent Davis, we will end this with one last question. Could you explain your personal relationship with Director Bristow?"

I knew this question was coming. They'd done the same to Jack the day before. I took one long sip of my water glass and looked directly into the camera, I knew he was watching.

"We're very close, as Jack said yesterday. I know how it looks to everyone else, but it's very special and dear to us, to me. This ordeal has been very difficult and I promise you that I never meant to disobey a direct order or put anybody in the position they've been in. I made a split second decision to take a risk for my country, to look at the bigger picture. I'm paying for it now and I fully accept any reprimand for my actions, professionally. But this has taken a toll on my personal relationship with Jack and that's something I deeply regret. I can handle losing my job over this, if that's what happens as a result of this hearing. But if I lost Jack as well, I couldn't deal with that. He is everything to me." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Thank you, Brooke. I think we have everything. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us this morning. And I think I speak for us all when I wish you the best of luck with everything."

I stood up and pushed back my chair. "Thank you, I appreciate that. Have a nice weekend, gentlemen."

I left the room and headed right for Jack's office. A lot of people stopped to congratulate me, those who had seen some of the hearing on the outside feed. I felt good about the hearing but as I got to Jack's office door, I became increasingly nervous about his reaction. I slowly knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I took a deep breath and opened the door. Jack was sitting at his desk and he looked up from the computer when he saw me. I stopped and folded my arms behind my back. We stood looking at each other, but I couldn't read his face.

"Well?" I broke the silence.

"Fantastic" Jack smiled at me and stood up from the chair.

"Really?" I was thrilled.

He came over and gave me a hug, "Really. Did you like my note?"

I opened my purse and took out my wallet where I had tucked it away, "Of course. I saved it here. I love it."

Jack put his arms on my shoulders, "I'm so proud of you. I admit that I nearly punched the computer screen a couple of times when they were questioning you, but you handled everything so brilliantly, just as I knew you would."

"Well I'm glad you didn't punch the computer." I laughed. "So what happens now?"

Jack rubbed his forehead, "Now they decide what your punishment will be."

I walked over and sat down on the couch, "And how long will that be?"

He shrugged and sat down next to me, "I'm not sure. They could decide this afternoon or not until next week. But everything will be ok, I promise."

Suddenly the morning's events caught up with me and I felt completely worn out. I was still recovering and the stress of the week with the hearings and things with Jack had been a bit much. Jack knew it, too. He gently rubbed my back as I closed my eyes. It was barely noon and I felt like I could have gone to sleep for 9 hours.

"Listen, I've got some more work here. Why don't you go home and rest and I will be home later. If there's any news from the committee, I will let you know. Okay?"

I leaned against him and for a second, I didn't want to move. "Okay." I said before I stood up. Just then, Sydney knocked on the door, "Dad? Brooke? Can I come in?" Jack went and opened the door. "Hi, sweetheart."

Sydney looked at both of us, "Are you guys okay? Brooke, you were awesome, you should have seen the rotunda during your hearing, everybody was clapping." Jack and I both smiled.

"Sydney, please do me a favor, can you run Brooke home? We drove together and she needs to rest, it's been a stressful morning. Do you mind?" Jack asked his daughter.

She nodded, "Sure, I'll be at my desk, come by when you're ready."

I put on my jacket and grabbed my purse. I scowled at Jack, "I wish you could leave with me."

"You and me both, honey. But I will see you this evening after work." He kissed me softly.

Little did I know I would see him earlier than that.


	11. Chapter 11: A Few Surprises

**Just a few notes: 1) This chapter ended up being a few parts, it wasn't planned, just kind of happened that way. I hope everyone still enjoys it. 2) Potbelly's is an actual sandwich place in Washington, D.C. I used to go there for lunch when I worked in the city and they have amazing milkshakes. 3) I took a slight liberty with Douglas having a crush on Irina. There's no proof of that from the show, but I figured it wasn't THAT much of a stretch since I imagine a lot of Jack's colleagues back in the 70's and 80's were quite smitten with his wife. So please forgive me, I did make that up. Once again, I own nothing but myself. **

Chapter 11: A Few Surprises

In the car on the way home, Sydney couldn't stop talking about how well I did that morning.

"You completely charmed the entire committee. I've never seen anything like it."

"Well, except for Douglas, he clearly doesn't like me." I corrected her.

"Douglas doesn't like anyone. He especially doesn't like Dad."

I shifted in my seat, "Why?"

"Because he doesn't follow the rule book and because Douglas is a little jealous."

Now I was curious, "Oh?"

Sydney chuckled to herself, "If you repeat this to my father, I will kill you, but he and Douglas go back a long time and they used to know each other at CIA functions. Anyway, as I heard it, he had a pretty big crush on my mother."

My mouth dropped open, "WHAT?!" I shook my head, "It all makes sense now." And truthfully, I wasn't _that_ shocked. Regardless of how I felt about her, Irina Derevko was absolutely beautiful.

"So don't take it personally. They have a lot of history."

"I guess so!" I couldn't help but laugh. "Wow, you learn something new every day."

We were a few minutes from the house and Sydney changed the subject, "What are you and Dad doing for the weekend?"

I realized I hadn't even thought about it. "I don't know, I hadn't made it past the hearings. What are you and Vaughn doing?"

"We talked about going for a hike tomorrow since the weather is supposed to be nice. We thought you and dad could join us."

That sounded like a fantastic idea, "I'd like to, but I'll ask Jack and let you know. Or you could ask him when you go back to the office."

"I will" Sydney answered before I got out of the car. I couldn't wait to get in the house and change out of the dressy clothes I was wearing.

"Thanks for the ride, Syd, I appreciate it." I went over to hug her. "I'll talk to you later and hopefully we'll see you tomorrow."

"You got it. Get some rest."

I went into the house, plugged my cell phone into the charger in the kitchen and headed upstairs. I changed my clothes and took one of Jack's t-shirts out of the drawer. They were always great to sleep in because they were like nightgowns on me. I got into bed, turned on the TV, and within a few minutes I was sound asleep.

Meanwhile, back at the Ops Center, Jack was on the phone in his office, trying to finish up a call with a NSC official when he saw Sydney in the hallway, waiting to speak to him. He waved at her to come in and put his hand up while he finished the call.

"I understand. Yes, I'll make sure somebody here looks into it. Thank you."

He hung up the phone and looked at his daughter, "Did you get Brooke home okay?"

"Of course, she was pretty worn out."

Jack continued ruffling papers and putting them in his bag. Sydney was at a loss as to why her father seemed to be packing up for the day. It was only past noon.

"Dad, what are you doing?" She questioned.

"I'm taking the rest of the day off, well, weekend off I guess."

"You are?" Sydney looked like a confused puppy. "Where are you going?"

"Home, to be with Brooke. I know I had you just drop her off, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I know you know we've been having problems and it's my fault. If Vaughn started treating you the way I've been treating her, I'd break his face."

Sydney sat down, "I thought things were getting better, at least from what I could see this week."

"They are, this week. It's just..I can't really get into it. I just have to go home right now. Dixon informed me the committee will have a decision by the end of the day and he's going to call my cell phone. I want to be with Brooke when he does so she doesn't have to be alone."

"I get it." Syd smiled. "Oh, by the way, I asked Brooke if you two wanted to go hiking with us tomorrow afternoon. She said she wanted to but would check with you."

Jack smiled, "That sounds great. Thanks, sweetheart. I will talk to you later."

"Bye, Dad."

I must have been asleep for a few hours when I felt a hand touch my arm. "Brooke? Wake up."

I turned over and opened my eyes, "Jack?"

He smiled, "Hi"

"Is it after 5? I slept the whole afternoon?" I quickly sat up.

"No, you didn't. It's almost 2."

I was so confused, "Did you come home for lunch?"

He shook his head, "No. Well, sort of. I took the rest of the day off. I wanted it to be a surprise."

My face lit up, "Really?"

Jack took off his suit jacket and hung it in the closet. "Yes. And I didn't even bring any work home with me." He paused in front of the doorway. "I just wanted to be with you. And also, I wanted to be here when Dixon calls with the committee's ruling."

I felt my stomach tighten, "They've already decided?"

"Apparently, I'm expecting Dixon's call by 4." Jack looked at his watch, "We have two hours. So I better get on with the rest of the surprises."

I watched him go over and take something from under his jacket and hold it behind his back.

"This is the second surprise. I realized I hadn't done this for you in a pretty long time and after this morning, I felt you more than deserved it. Of course, that's not saying you don't deserve this every day, but.."

He pulled from behind him the most beautiful bouquet of roses I'd ever seen. I sat there for a second, attempting to grasp all of this. He was never this spontaneous.

I took them from his hands and smiled, "Jack, they're beautiful! Thank you." I reached up to kiss him but he stopped me. "You still have one more surprise waiting for you in the kitchen. But first, you have to get out of my shirt before you trip on it going down the stairs."

Jack took the flowers downstairs to put them in water while I changed. When I came down into the kitchen, I stopped and laughed at myself at the sight before me. He had brought home lunch from one of my favorite places in DC.

"Did you bring me Potbelly's?"

"I did" Jack took the rest of the food out of the bag. "I thought you would be hungry when you woke up."

I walked over and looked at the sandwiches and chips on the table he had set for us, "I'm starving." I stopped and looked at him.

"What is all of this, really? You never leave work early and you never surprise me like this. Do you already know the ruling and all of this is an evasion? Am I being fired? Are you going to tell me you're not really Jack Bristow?" I started firing off ridiculous questions.

Jack slowly walked towards me. "Let me answer each question in order. First, no, I do not know the ruling," he said as he closed the distance between us, "Second, you are not being fired. The committee can't fire you, only I can do that," he was in front of me at this point, "And as for your final question, I'll let you decide for yourself."

He reached down and gently brushed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes and felt his arms around me. I kissed him back and suddenly we were making out in the middle of the kitchen.

"Well?" Jack asked after our spur of the moment make out session.

"I think I should ask that question more often."


	12. Chapter 12: Reprimand

**Finally, Brooke gets her punishment. I didn't do any research for CIA reprimands, just came up with it on my own. I own nothing but myself. Enjoy! **

Chapter 12: Reprimand

After we finished off the sandwiches and the famous Potbelly milkshakes, we noticed the time was ten minutes to 4. I started to get nervous. In a few minutes, the future of my career was going to be revealed to me.

I got up and started to clean up the dishes. Within a few minutes, Jack's phone rang.

"This is Jack." I heard him answer. "Hi, Dixon…yes, she's here. I will put you on speaker."

I walked over and sat back down at the table as Jack put the phone in between us and hit the speaker button. "Brooke, are you there?"

"I'm here, Dixon. Go ahead."

Jack reached over and took my hand. I heard Dixon ask if I was ready to hear the results. I took a deep breath and said "I'm ready."

I could hear him ruffling some papers in front of him. "Alright, before I tell you, I just want you to know that you have nothing to worry about. They could have come down you a lot harder than they did, so don't worry." He paused. "Okay, they gave me a formal report but I will summarize it for you. First piece of good news, they are going to ask that you return to work on Monday to begin serving a 6 week period of administrative duty. Basically, they want you to come back to work but you won't be eligible to be field rated again for 6 weeks. Given that you haven't been cleared by the doctors anyway, I think that's pretty fair. Are you still with me?"

"We are, Dixon." Jack and I both said at the same time.

"Good. Now, Brooke, when you are finally cleared by your doctor, ask him to write you a note. The committee requested a copy, and I will need one as well. Do you have an appointment set up already?"

"Yes, next Thursday. But I won't know if they are clearing me until then. I will keep you updated."

"Good. Just be sure when you do get that clearance, you let me know as soon as possible."

"I will."

Dixon continued, "The other piece of good news is that not only do they want you to return to work but they want you to be the point person on deciphering the manuscript since you were the one who found it."

Jack and I looked at each other, "Really?" I said.

"They respect and appreciate the fact that you were the one who took the risk to recover it. They figure it's only appropriate that you be involved." Dixon cleared his throat, "Now, there's one last thing I need to share with you. And here's where the bad news comes in."

I closed my eyes and felt Jack give my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Go ahead."

"Even though this was your first infraction since joining the Agency and you have an impeccable record, because you disobeyed a direct order from a Senior Director, they're marking this on your record as such. Normally, if it's your first strike, it goes in as a warning and it holds no bearing. However, this one is going in as an intentional disregard for protocol and the safety of your fellow operatives. As well as complete failure to obey a direct order from a senior officer, at least that's how they're characterizing it."

I suddenly felt tears fall down my face. Just hearing all of that was absolutely disappointing. And it was my own fault, I knew that. "Okay. I accept that", was all I could manage to respond. Jack was silent. He was still holding my hand but he looked angry.

Finally, Jack spoke. "Is that all?" He glanced over at me.

"No. You can appeal their decision, but you have fifteen days from today to do so. Personally, Brooke, I think you made out really well. This mark on your record isn't forever. If you go a year without any infractions, you have a good chance of getting it taken off. However, if you disobey another direct order in the field, you will be demoted, no questions asked, no hearings. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"And if you do want to appeal, you have to submit a formal letter to myself. Normally, you would present it to the Director but due to your personal relationship with Jack, they have decided to put me in charge of this. Jack, I'm sorry. They know you will be fair and objective, but they feel it's best to just completely eliminate the risk of any conflict of interest whatsoever. So Brooke, if you have any questions about any of this, please come to me. Take the weekend and decide what you want to do."

"Thank you, Dixon. Is that everything?"

"Yes, it is. I hope you both enjoy the weekend and I will see you on Monday."

"Thanks again, Dixon. Have a good weekend."

I hit the phone off and sat back in my chair. Jack got up and walked over to the sink and looked out the window. "Well, what do you think?" There was no answer. "Jack?" I got up and walked over to where he was. "Please talk to me."

"This is Douglas. This is his way of getting at me. There's no reason you should have gotten such a harsh reprimand on your first infraction. They've never done that before."

I shook my head, "But Jack, it's a fair reprimand. Like Dixon said, it could have been much harsher, but look, they're letting me come back to work and they want me working on the manuscript. Don't you see? They could have refused to let me be involved at all and that would have been worse." I put my hand on his arm, "And I can't expect them to let my decision to break protocol go unpunished. I disobeyed a direct order from a senior officer…..you."

Jack nodded, "You're right."

"If I'm okay with it, you should be too. It's over." I smiled at him.

"Do you want to appeal it?" Jack asked me.

"No. If I appeal it only looks like I don't want to take responsibility for my actions."

Jack nodded and folded his arms. "You're probably right. It just drags it out anyway. I just don't like that they put this on your record when it's only your first strike. That's the only thing that bothers me." He sighed. "But it is fair and if you accept it, then I do as well."

"Good. Now that's settled. Are we going hiking tomorrow with Sydney and Vaughn?"

Jack walked over and stood in front of me. "Definitely, but I want the rest of the weekend for us, understood?"

"Yes, Director Bristow."


End file.
